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fighting ships of the world

ROYAL NAVY - UNITED KINGDOM

CRUISERS

DOTEREL composite screw sloops (1879-1881)

Dragon 1880

Name

No

Yard No

Builder

Laid down

Launched

Comp

Fate

Dragon     Devonport DYd 26.4.1877 30.5.1878 19.2.1879 sold 9.1892
Pegasus     Devonport DYd 9.5.1877 13.6.1878 5.3.1879 sold 8.1892
Gannet     Sheerness DYd 1877 31.8.1878 17.4.1879 TS 5.1903
Phoenix     Devonport DYd 8.7.1878 16.9.1879 20.4.1880 wrecked 12.9.1882
Miranda     Devonport DYd 8.7.1878 30.9.1879 22.7.1880 survey vessel 1883
Kingfisher     Sheerness DYd 23.9.1878 16.12.1879 17.8.1880 TS 11.1892
Doterel     Chatham DYd 13.5.1878 2.3.1880 7.12.1880 explosion 26.4.1881
Mutine     Devonport DYd 7.6.1879 20.7.1880 10.5.1881 boom defence vessel 1899
Espiegle     Devonport DYd 23.9.1879 3.8.1880 11.10.1881 boom defence vessel 1899

 

Displacement normal, t

1130

Displacement full, t

 

Length, m

58.8 pp

Breadth, m

11.0

Draught, m

4.80

No of shafts

1

Machinery

sails + 1 2-cyl HCE, 3 cylindrical boilers

Power, h. p.

Dragon: 1006

Pegasus: 972

Gannet: 1107

Phoenix: 1128

Miranda: 1020

Kingfisher: 1090

Doterel: 900

Mutine: 1120

Espiegle: 1140

Max speed, kts

Dragon, Pegasus, Gannet, Espiegle: 11.5

Miranda, Doterel: 11

Kingfisher, Mutine: 11.6

Fuel, t

coal 150

Endurance, nm(kts)

1480(10)

Armament

2 x 1 - 178/16 90cwt MLR, 4 x 1 - 160/16 64pdr 64cwt MLR

Complement

140 - 150

Project history: Designed by Nathaniel Barnaby as a follow on from the Fantome class, who endeavoured to achieve handiness with increased speed. The system of mounting the guns was similar to that in the Amazon class. Three boilers worked at 4.2kgf/cm2. All were barque-rigged. The two groups (Osprey and Doterel classes) were distinguished by the shape of the bows: Group 1 had knee-bows, and Group 2 had vertical stems.

Modernizations: mid-1880s, all: + (4 - 6) x 1 - 11.4/78

mid-1880s, Gannet: - 4 x 1 - 160/16; + 2 x 1 - 127/25 BL Mk I/II/III/IV

mid-1880s, Espiegle: was rearmed with 10 x 1 - 127/25 BL Mk I/II/III/IV, 4 x 1 - 11.4/94

1892, Mutine: was rearmed with 10 x 1 - 127/25 BL Mk I/II/III/IV, 10 x 1 - 11.4/94

Naval service: Doterel exploded and sank off Punta Arenas 26.4.1881. Phoenix was wrecked off Prince Edward Island 12.9.1882.

Espiegle 1897

© Ivan Gogin, 2008-09